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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. season — in sport
  4. land — to come down
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. land — ground
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rock — music
  16. land — a country
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com